Unfinished Business
by Troublelover16
Summary: Ghosts usually have unfinished business right? There's something they need. But what? You have to figure that out for yourself. Well, Artemis Fowl is trying to do just that after an unsettling encounter with the ghost of Holly and Trouble's daughter Annie
1. Impossible

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D -TL16  
**

* * *

"Good night Dad. See you in the morning."

Artemis Fowl II looked up from the computer, where he was working on a new project, and faced his son. Orion Fowl was standing at the door of the study, impatiently waiting for his father to acknowledge him.

"Good night Orion." The sixteen year old nodded and left the study, leaving his father to get back to work.

Artemis chuckled to himself. Orion was something else. Already he was beginning to be the exact image of himself and on top of that the teen was even starting to pick up on his personality. And that's not even mentioning his intelligence.

Well, you know what they say, like father, like son.

Artemis went back to his computer. He was working on a new project and he was getting close to finishing the research. If he succeeded, the outcome of his experiment could change the world.

Typical Artemis Fowl, always trying to save the world. Or at least something of that sort.

It was about two in the morning when he finally decided that he'd had enough for the night. He shut down his computer and started to head for his room, when he heard music. He froze and listened.

It was the piano. Someone was playing Beethoven, Fur Elise to be exact. Artemis frowned. If Orion was up out of bed again…

He came to the door of the little sitting room, where the piano was kept. He opened it, prepared to give his son a stern talking to, but then he froze seeing who, or what, whichever term you wanted to use, was actually playing the piano.

There was a girl playing the piano and she was oblivious to the fact that Artemis was there. Artemis stood there in shock for a moment and then snapped out of it. This was unbelievable…what in the…

Then he looked at her more closely and he suddenly felt gut-wrenching sorrow. He recognized the child.

The girl, or more specifically elf, was young, very young. Her long, curly, auburn hair was tied up with a green ribbon, to keep it out of her face, and it fell gently down her back. She was no older than 20, in human years she would have been six, and she could play the piano better than some professionals that Artemis had seen.

Artemis couldn't see her face, but he was certain that it was her. There was no one else it could possibly be…But it was impossible for it to be her…because…

Artemis frowned. What was going on?

Suddenly the girl stopped playing and turned around. She saw Artemis standing there and looked him in the eyes. This proved that it most definitely was her. The violet eyes confirmed that. But it was still impossible for her to be there…

The young elf smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but she thought better of it and held back. She stood up from the piano and began to walk towards Artemis. She stopped right in front of him and smiled up at him. She giggled and then, suddenly…

She disappeared.

Artemis nearly lost it then. She shouldn't have been there. It was possible…wasn't it?

He left the room and immediately headed back to his study. He had a few calls to make. First he'd call Foaly, to see if the centaur could make any sense out of it. And of course…he'd have to call Holly and Trouble…It'd be difficult, but they needed to be notified.

Because, if he was right and his mind wasn't just playing tricks on him, they would have a mystery on their hands. His conscious was telling him that this wasn't a trick, that it was very real, but he had to make sure first. It was just too surreal.

Holly and Trouble wouldn't be too thrilled, but they were in this whether they liked it or not. Because If Artemis was right, the girl playing the piano…

Was the ghost of their daughter…Annie Lynn Kelp….

* * *

**A/N****: Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ 3_  
**


	2. Questions of the Supernatural Kind

**A/N: I don't own Artemis Fowl. Sadly. But that's okay. I'd much rather own Trubs. But, unfortunately I don't own him either. :( Eoin Colfer owns anything Artemis Fowl related. That includes Trubs. Grr..**

* * *

Foaly was awoken by the sound of his phone ringing. What the? Who would be calling at this time of night?

He picked it up and sighed as he saw who it was. Artemis. Even as a grown man, the human could be so annoying. But, nevertheless, the centaur answered because usually Artemis didn't call just to say hello.

"Hello, Artemis. You do know what time it is, right?"

"Hello Foaly. Yes, I know it's late, but this is important. I have a question for you."

Foaly sighed. He knew it. "Okay Artemis. What is it?"

"I had an…unusual experience tonight and I wanted to know some more about it. What do you know about the subject of the supernatural? More specifically ghosts?"

The centaur sighed. What was the Mud Man up to now? "Don't tell me you think the Manor is haunted. Artemis, can't this wait? Fine. I don't know. I suppose that they do exist but I've never actually seen one myself. But, I never believe any of those ghost stories. They're all full of dwarf manure."

There was silence as Artemis thought about the centaur's statement. Finally he spoke. "Do you believe that they have "unfinished business" like they say in those stories? I need to know."

Foaly was getting interested now. Something had happened, he could tell by the way Artemis sounded. "Yes, possibly. Depending on the case. Depending if they actually exist…So, what's going on? Why did you wake me just to ask me this? Why couldn't this wait until morning?"

Artemis smirked. "You know me too well Foaly. You know that something's up. Fine, I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone. Especially Holly and Trouble. I need to make sure I actually saw what I think I saw."

"I won't tell. Promise. Now, what is it?"

Artemis took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "I think I just saw the ghost of Annie playing the piano. I'm not positive, but that's why I need you to keep it quiet. I need to see if she comes back."

Foaly was silent for the longest time. At first Artemis thought that he had fainted, but to tell you the truth, he was just taking all of it in. It was pretty shocking.

Foaly was stunned. Annie's ghost? What? Had Artemis lost his mind? Maybe, maybe not. Who knew? But, knowing Artemis, it probably was true. But, just…why?

Finally Foaly spoke. "Okay…wow…Are you sure Artemis?"

Artemis took in a shaking breath. "Yes. I'm positive. She turned around and looked me in the eyes. That's when I knew for sure that it was her. Those eyes…"

Foaly was silent again. Artemis seemed shaken by his encounter with her. It must be true then… "Alright Artemis, I believe you. I won't tell."

"Thanks Foaly. I'm going to wait tonight and see if she comes back and if she does then I'll let you know first. And then we can figure out how to call Holly and Trouble…I could call Holly and you could call Trouble. How's that?"

"That's sounds fine….Just remember don't mention Trouble. Or Holly will never come if she knows that he's going to be there."

"Right. And don't mention Holly to Trouble. For the same reason of course."

Foaly laughed. "I won't. Now, go back to bed Artemis. I need some sleep and I bet you do to. Especially after that incident tonight."

Artemis chuckled. "Yes, mother. I will."

"No need to be sarcastic about it now."

"Goodbye Foaly. I'll call you if Annie comes back."

"Okay. Bye, Artemis."

Artemis hung up and headed back to bed. Now that he had answers he could get some sleep. As he climbed into bed he couldn't help remember those eyes…they were so young, so innocent…Annie didn't deserve to die. Even though he was a genius there were still something's that he didn't understand. Like, why did innocent children have to die? Alas, it was just another one of those things.

Artemis sighed. If he was this shaken up about the matter…there was no telling how Holly and Trouble would react…Especially since they hated each other now… He sighed again. It would be difficult to get the two of them together, but Foaly and him would find a way to manage. It was imperative that the two of them cooperated in this matter.

* * *

**Author Note: **

**Review please! The more reviews the sooner I'll update! (And no, I'm not going to tell you why Holly and Trouble hate each other, so don't ask. You'll find out soon enough :P) **

**I love ghost stories... They are creepy and mysterious and awesome all at the same time! XD**

**_~Troublelover16~ 3_  
**


	3. Encounters With A Ghost

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D **

**Thanks for the reviews that I have so far! xD Here's the next chapter! **

**Oh and just so you know, as this information isn't really mentioned in the story, Arty and Juliet aren't married. NO. Don't assume that. Butler retired and Juliet took over as bodyguard. And ten years before the story Butler died...so..yeah..**

**Myles and Beckett moved away, Myles to England and Beckett to the U.S. Artemis Sr. and Angeline still live in Fowl Manor, but at the moment they are on vacation visiting both of their youngest sons and their families.**

**Now, enough chit-chat, read the story! And enjoy! :D -TL16  
**

* * *

Artemis awoke the next morning prepared for a new, if not interesting, day. He headed downstairs and found that Juliet was already in there fixing breakfast for the children.

Orion was already at the table, nose in the latest book obsession of his. However, little Lucy, blonde hair in pigtails, was excitedly bouncing around the room in a way that only four-year old girls do.

Artemis smiled. She was always full of energy. He always wondered where she got it from.

Lucy spotted her father almost immediately. She ran up to him and jumped up and down, begging to be picked up.

"Daddy! Good morning!"

Artemis laughed and picked her up. She giggled and playfully messed up his hair like she always did. "Good morning, Lucy. How are you this morning?"

"Good. Julie's fixing breakfast and then I'm going to go play with my dolls and…"

Artemis laughed. "That sounds like fun, sweetie. Now, why don't you go and take that book from your brother? He knows the rules."

She nodded and as soon as she was set back onto the ground, she ran over to her big brother, grabbed his book, and took off running.

"NO READING AT THE TABLE ORION! DADDY SAYS!"

Orion was furious. "Lucy! Come back here! DAD!"

Artemis laughed and took a seat next to his son. "Leave her alone. I told her to do it."

Orion was flabbergasted. "What? Why?"

"Nevermind why, but don't read at the table. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

By this time Juliet had finished breakfast and she took a seat next to Artemis at the table. She rolled her eyes. Artemis looked at her quizzically.

"You're just such a hypocrite Artemis! You used to do the exact same thing!"

"I know that Juliet, but I'm determined that my children have at least a somewhat normal childhood."

Juliet rolled her eyes again and sighed. When she spoke you could just hear the layers of sarcasm. "Oh yeah. The fairies and the fact that their family is among the richest in the world, totally defines normal childhood."

Artemis was persistent. "I said somewhat normal."

While the two adults argued, Orion was helping himself to breakfast. School was in thirty-minutes and he didn't want to be late. Besides, this was a normal occurrence at breakfast.

Suddenly Lucy came running back into the kitchen, almost knocking over the orange juice as she climbed into a chair. Where she had came from, no one knew, but the one thing that they did know was that she had hidden Orion's book. Where? Who knows?

"Yay! Pancakes! My favorite!" Lucy giggled and chattered excitedly. There was no peace and quiet in Fowl Manor with her around. That ended a long time ago.

After breakfast Juliet took Orion to school, Lucy went to her room to play, and Artemis headed to his study to do some research.

Artemis sat down at his desk and turned on his laptop. Time to do a little research. But not for his project, that was completely forgotten. He now had a new mission. But first he needed to do a little research on the paranormal. He had to find out why little Annie would possibly come back as a ghost.

Two hours later his research was complete. He had found what he was looking for. He smiled to himself; that was too easy.

The answer was simple. If what he saw last night was real, then the reason for Annie Kelp to come back as a ghost was that she had some unfinished business. She wanted something. But, the question is…What?

Alas, he would have to figure that out later. Right now he needed to go check on Lucy. Usually by now she would have come in to his study, begging for attention. She was unusually quiet.

Artemis left his study and headed towards his daughter's room. As he approached her room he started to hear giggles. What? She was alone…right?

Artemis threw open the door and there sat Lucy playing with her dolls. He breathed a sigh of relief, but not for long.

Lucy whined. "Daddy! You scared her away!"

Artemis raised an eyebrow and knelt down to his daughter's level. "Scared who away, sweetie?"

"My new friend…Annie."

* * *

It was just another day at work for Foaly. He was in the Ops Booth, organizing files, maintaining security, doing some research. The usual.

As he worked however, he began to feel a strange sensation. Like he was being watched…Like someone was in the room with him…

He looked around and there was no one there. Out of old habit, he reached in his desk and pulled out his tinfoil hat. He hadn't worn it in a while, but he felt like he needed it.

Foaly went back to work and soon the feeling passed. He was just about to stop work and take a lunch break and maybe work on one of his projects, when...

_BANG!_

He jumped up from his chair and looked around. He sighed in relief when he saw that it was only a book that had fallen from a shelf. He crossed the room, picked it up, and replaced it back on the self.

He returned to his seat and took out his lunch. He needed a break. Artemis had done gotten him all paranoid with that ghost business. Foaly rolled his eyes, Artemis and those theories of his.

_BANG!_

Foaly jumped up again and looked...The same book had fallen again. What the…?

He crossed the room, prepared to pick up the book once again. But as he approached the self he suddenly saw something that made him freeze about five feet from the shelf.

It was an elf with violet eyes and curly auburn hair. She was wearing a green dress and her hair was tied back with a matching green ribbon. She giggled and placed the book back on the shelf.

"Whoops. Sorry, Uncle Foaly." Then she disappeared, leaving a flabbergasted centaur standing open mouthed staring at the place where she stood.

After a moment Foaly recovered from the shock and quickly pulled out his phone. He pressed a button on speed dial and Artemis immediately answered.

"Hello, Foaly. I was just about to call you. What is it?"

Foaly was still in shock. "I believe you."

"What?"

"I said I believe you. About Annie. She just appeared in the Ops Booth. She even spoke to me."

Artemis was surprised. "Really? Okay…this is more serious than I thought. She's been here again too. She showed herself to Lucy...We need to organize a meeting. Tonight. Here at the Manor should be good since she'll probably appear again."

Foaly agreed. "Yes. I'll tell Trouble and we'll be there at about eight. Okay?"

"Yes that'll be fine. I'll call Holly in a little while. Just remember, not a word about Holly to Trouble. Just tell him its guy business. They'll probably be mad once they find out that we tricked them, but they'll get over it."

"Okay. Talk to you later."

Foaly headed back to work. By the end of the day there were no other encounters with Annie. He was still trying to recover from the first. It was…he didn't know how to describe it. It was creepy and sad and weird at the same time. Indescribable.

Well, time to inform the Commander of the little "meeting" tonight. If he said was busy then Foaly would just have to make it mandatory.

Foaly pressed a button and turned on the intercom. "Commander Kelp to the Ops Booth. Commander Kelp to the Ops Booth. Thank you."

A few minutes later Trouble entered the Ops Booth. He looked tired and worn, despite his age. Being Commander brought on many things. And so did family issues.

"Yes Foaly? What is it?"

Foaly took a deep breath. "Listen Trouble. We need to talk."

* * *

**A/N****: Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**Hmm...I think I'll post a few more chapters. Since I won't be on all summer.  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	4. What Was That!

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D **

**Thanks for the reviews that I have so far! xD **

**Okay...this chapter almost made me cry...you'll see.-TL16  
**

* * *

Artemis waited impatiently for his guests to arrive. It was exactly eight-o-clock when he heard the doorbell.

_It's about time,_ he thought as he went to open the door for Foaly and Trouble. Foaly looked nervous and Trouble just looked plain tired. But it was important that they went on with this meeting.

Trouble sighed as he took a seat in a chair once they got to the study. "Hey, Artemis. So, what's going on? What do you want?"

Artemis smiled and shrugged. "Oh nothing much, just a little meeting. Make sure everything's going okay in Haven and catch up. You know just "hang out"

Trouble raised an eyebrow. "You called us here just to hang out. Really?"

"Yes. Do you have a problem with it?"

Trouble shook his head. "No, not really. I'm just tired and really busy. But I guess I do need a break…"

Foaly nodded in agreement. "Yes you do. Your work as commander seems like it never ends."

Suddenly the doorbell rang again and Artemis got up to answer it. Trouble was confused. "I thought it was just going to be us three?"

Artemis nodded and looked at Foaly. _Don't mention a thing_. Foaly nodded back.

Artemis went towards the study door. "It is. I'll just go and see who that could possibly be…"

He headed downstairs and Trouble and Foaly could hear as the door opened and then shut again. There were sounds of footsteps and then the door to the study opened. Artemis entered followed by a "surprise" visitor.

Foaly tensed up. Time to prepare for the fireworks…

"Hey Foaly. What's up?..._What are you doing here?_" Those last words were spoken with intense hate. The elf's hazel eyes narrowed in a fierce glare.

Trouble stood with a scowl on his face. "I might ask you the same."

"Artemis invited me. He said that we needed to talk."

Trouble glared and turned to look at Foaly and Artemis, who were standing to the side watching fearfully. "That's funny, because that's the same thing Foaly told me…"

Holly glared at Artemis. "You tricked us. You don't want to talk." She turned back to Trouble with a scowl on her face. "You just want to get _us_ back together."

Artemis shook his head and stepped in-between the furious elves. "No, that's not it. Foaly and I do need to talk to you guys. But, it was important that you two were together."

Holly frowned. "Well it didn't work because I'm leaving."

"As am I."

Foaly sighed. "I knew this would happen. Now guys please sit down and listen. This is important. Ignore each other for now and pay attention.

Holly and Trouble glared at each other one last time before taking a seat. They guessed that they could stand each other for a few moments.

Artemis smiled. "Okay. Is everyone better now? Happy?"

Holly huffed in annoyance. _"No…"_

"Well Holly, you're just going to have to deal with it. Now, are you prepared to listen? We don't have much time."

Trouble scowled. "Just get it over with already. You're wasting time with your jabber."

Artemis took a deep breath. "Well, just last night, I had an interesting encounter and I thought you'd might like to know…"

All of a sudden, there was the sound of music playing, Beethoven's Fur Elise. Artemis paled and forced a smile. "Speaking of which…there she is now. If you would just follow me…"

Artemis led the group towards the little sitting room. He stopped right outside the door and faced Holly and Trouble.

"Okay…this might be a little…shocking…but don't be frightened. I just want you to know that this is completely real; it's not a trick.

Holly sighed. "Just open the door already, Artemis. We don't have all night."

"Alright…just…keep quiet."

Artemis opened the door and led the group inside. Foaly and Artemis stood off to the side and Holly and Trouble remained standing in the door. Their eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing.

There was a young elf, wearing a green dress, playing the piano. Her curly auburn hair was tied back with a green ribbon and she was focused on the music. She didn't notice the four others in the room.

Holly stood there her eyes wide. _Is that? No…It can't be…_

Trouble wasn't any better. He paled and stared unblinking at the girl. _Oh my g…is that?_

The elf finished playing and stood. She turned and then saw the group assembled. She smiled, her violet eyes sparkling. She walked towards Holly and Trouble and giggled.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

And then she disappeared, leaving Trouble and Holly with tears in their eyes, staring at the place where she had been standing.

* * *

Holly collapsed in a chair and Trouble sat down at the piano. They were silent except for the occasional sniffle. This was extremely emotional for them.

Artemis and Foaly were silent. They were giving the two elves a moment or two. They needed it.

Finally Holly wiped her eyes and took a shaking breath. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Wh..what was th..that?"

Trouble nodded. He too wanted to know. He couldn't make himself speak at this moment though.

Artemis sat in another chair and took a deep breath. He spoke calmly and gently.

"I believe that…that was the ghost of Annie…I thought you would like to know. So that's why I invited both of you here tonight…"

* * *

**A/N****: Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**Hmm...I think I'll post a few more chapters. Since I won't be on all summer.  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	5. The Second Visitor

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D **

**Thanks for the reviews that I have so far! xD **

**Okay...somethings are explained in this chapter, but not in detail. But don't worry, I'll explain everything in future chapters. -TL16  
**

* * *

After Holly and Trouble regained their senses, they began their usual bickering. It was a sight to see, especially for Foaly and Artemis.

Holly and Trouble had been married for twenty-two years and then after that they divorced and hated each other ever since. The thing that was the most confusing was that how could two people love each other so much at one point, for such a long time, and all of a sudden hate each other so passionately, that it was like they had never been friends at all.

Well, Foaly and Artemis knew the answer to that, but they didn't talk about it. No one did. It was unwise to do so. All it would do was cause even more arguments.

Holly glared at Trouble. "So, I see you managed to get a night off. That's a first for you. Normally you claim that there's so much work that you'll never finish it. Have things changed in the past few years?"

Trouble glared back. "No, they haven't. I do need a break every once in a while you know. And speaking of work, you usually have a mountain of work yourself, isn't that right…_Commander._"

Just three years previously Holly had been approached by the Council, asking if she would like Commander Vinyaya's old job as Section 8 Commander. There wasn't much work left to do with the demons anymore, but now Section 8 handled just about all of the top secret missions. And since they were a secret division, it seemed most fitting.

Think of it this way, Section 8 was like the equivalent of the CIA/FBI, but no one knew that it even existed.

"I like to take a day off myself, thank you very much. So, how are you and Frond? When's the wedding?"

Trouble scowled and rolled his eyes. "I broke up with that bimbo months ago. Didn't you hear? I would have thought that Foaly would tell you that. Or did your tiny elfin brain not hear him correctly? Or maybe you just forgot? Hmm! I wouldn't be surprised."

That did it. Holly's complexion turned bright red; bright enough to rival Commander Root's; and she threw herself at Trouble in rage.

"WHY YOU LITTLE! THE NERVE OF YOU! IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN, YOU HAVE QUITE A HISTORY YOURSELF! LOOK OVER THERE! NO WAIT! LOOK OVER THERE!..."

Upon seeing Trouble's confused expression, Holly lowered her voice. When she spoke next Artemis and Foaly couldn't help but shiver; Holly's tone was dark and cold."

"You know very well what I'm talking about…If you had only been paying attention…then…then…"

Juliet, who had just walked in, rushed over and held Holly back before she could hurt Trouble or herself. Artemis and Foaly stepped in front of Trouble for the same reasons. The elf now knew what Holly had been referring to; he was livid.

"YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY! IT WAS OUT OF MY HANDS! THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO! I TRIED TO SAVE HER, BUT I…I…"

Trouble broke into sobs and nearly collapsed onto the floor. Foaly helped him to a chair and it was a while before anyone spoke again. When someone finally spoke it was Holly.

"Well…this is an improvement." She broke free from Juliet and walked up to Trouble, who's eyes were red from crying, and stared right into his violet eyes, that had, at one point, made her heart leap for joy.

"Now you know how I feel…I had no idea that healing her would have…I didn't know it was that serious, I thought it would help. If had have known, then I never would have done it. It was out of my hands…and then you go and blame me…"

Trouble scowled through his tears. "Exactly…you didn't know. You never know anything, do you? Always acting on instinct…and I wouldn't talk about blaming people. After the accident…I was heartbroken and then you blaming _me_ for what happened! You hypocrite…"

Holly bit her lip in frustration. She was about to speak again, when suddenly the air in the room went ice cold. It was as if someone had opened the door and let the ice-cold January air flow in. Then they saw the shadow…then they saw the elf…

She was young; the exact same age as Annie, and her curly auburn hair was tied back, much like Annie's, yet, instead of a green ribbon, hers was blue. Her blue dress looked brand new and yet it looked worn and faded. The girl's expression was solemn; her violet eyes cold.

All five occupants of the room froze. Artemis, Foaly, and Juliet were in shock; not believing what they saw in front of them.

Holly and Trouble thought they were hallucinating. They were shocked, afraid, and above all, grief-stricken. First Annie and now….What the hell was going on?

The girl stood there for a moment, as still as death. Trouble took a hesitant step towards her, his hand outstretched, as if he could possibly touch her.

He spoke, his voice cracking. "A... Aimee..."

Before he could say anymore she silenced him and suddenly a second elf joined her. This girl, identical to the first, wore a green dress and the same solemn expression…Annie…

The girls, both exact copies of each other except for the fact that one wore green and the other blue, looked at Holly and Trouble unblinkingly. They frowned and shook their heads. Then they spoke in perfect union.

"Mummy. Daddy. Why?"

Then, just as soon as they had appeared, they were gone.

Holly and Trouble nearly fainted. What was going on? Why now? Why were the ghosts of their dead daughters suddenly appearing?

The two elves, who were once in love, collapsed to the floor in tears. Finally Juliet, Artemis, and Foaly helped them up and led them to spare rooms for the night. Holly and Trouble never spoke but everyone was thinking the same exact thing…Juliet actually saying the words.

"What the hell is going on? I don't understand. I'd never imagined that ghosts were actually real…until tonight"

Artemis shook his head. "I have no idea. This is new to me as well. But, I have a feeling that we'll get some answers soon."

And over the next few days...They would find out just how right, or wrong, Artemis's prediction was.

* * *

**A/N****:**

**DUN DUN DUN! **

**In case you're confused...Annie is the one in green and Aimee is the one in blue. Yes, they are both Holly and Trouble's daughters. Yes, they are identical twins. They both died, but not at the same time and from different causes.**

**The next three chapters will be flashbacks and everything will be explained more clearly. **

**Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	6. The Last Time

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D **

**Thanks for the reviews that I have so far! xD **

**I love flashbacks...****-TL16  
**

* * *

_"MUMMY! DADDY! WAKE UP!"_

_Holly and Trouble moaned as two wild and enthusiastic elves ran into their room and started to jump up and down on the bed. The two elves, Annie and Aimee, their twin daughters, were not going to give up until their parents were up out of bed. It was a daily thing._

_Finally Holly and Trouble gave in and reluctantly climbed out of bed. The twins giggled excitedly and ran after them as they headed into the kitchen to fix breakfast. Holly and Trouble groaned, the first day off they had in months and the girls wake them up just like it was any other day._

_But, in Annie and Aimee's minds, today wasn't just another day. Today was special. Today they were going to the surface to visit Uncle Arty. They LOVED going to Uncle Arty's place._

_During breakfast, however, things slightly changed. And it all started with a simple phone call._

_Trouble sighed as his phone rang. It would have been fine if it was his personal phone, but no, it had to be his work phone. _

_"Yes?" Trouble sighed. _

_"Commander! We need you down here ASAP! There's a whole infestation of swear toads in Police Plaza! The officers are going crazy!"_

_Trouble sighed. "Isn't there someone else you can call? It's my day off and I don't have time for this."_

_The sprite on the other line thought about it. There __was__ someone else he could call. _

_"Yessir, Commander. Hold on, I'll get them on the line."_

_Suddenly there was the sound of another phone ringing in the room, Holly's work phone. Annie and Aimee giggled at the sight of their parent's frustration._

_Holly sighed as she answered the phone. "Yes?"_

_Trouble mentally facepalmed. "Chix…I didn't mean call Major Kelp. There must be someone else you can call."_

_Chix frowned even though Trouble couldn't see him. "Nope. It's either you or Holly. Council's orders."_

_Trouble and Holly sighed and sat in silence for a moment. Finally Trouble spoke into the phone. "Alright, Captain Verbil. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."_

_Trouble hung up the phone and silently finished his breakfast. Then he got up from the table to go put on his uniform. As he left the room, he could feel Holly watching him. She was not happy at all. Her gaze was like daggers stabbing him in the back._

_When he re-entered the room, buzz-baton and Neutrino safely holstered on his belt, Holly made it clear how unhappy she was._

_"Trouble…There must be another way. This was supposed to be a family outing and now you have to go to work."_

_Trouble sighed and kissed her forehead. "I know and I promise that I'll make it up to you…all of you. Now, I'll be home later, I have no idea how long this will take. Go on to Fowl Manor, enjoy yourselves."_

_He walked to the door, Holly and the girls closely following behind him. The girls grabbed onto his legs and looked up at him with their purple eyes, pleading for him to stay._

_"Daddy…Don't go!"_

_Trouble gently freed himself from their grips and knelt down to their level. _

_"I know, my dears. But, I have to go to work. I would much rather be here with my family, but I have no choice."_

_Annie poked her lip out and made a face that reminded Trouble so much of Holly that he nearly laughed out loud._

_"Then stay. D'arvit! Just tell the Council to…"_

_Holly gave her daughter a stern gaze. "Annie! Watch your language!"_

_Annie bit her lip and remained silent._

_Trouble chuckled. "Tell the Council to what, sweetie?"_

_Annie shook her head and took a seat on the couch. "Nevermind."_

_Aimee frowned and hugged her father before taking a seat beside her sister. Trouble stood and faced Holly. She was still in a bad mood._

_"I'm sorry Holls. I would stay if I could, but if I want to keep my job…"_

_Holly sighed and straightened his nametag. "I know, Trubs. It's just that this is the fifth time this has happened in the past month. Doesn't the Council get that you need a day off sometimes?"_

_Trouble sighed. "I know. This will be the last time. I promise." And with that he quickly kissed her and headed out the door._

* * *

**A/N****:**

**Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**Hmm...I think I'll post a few more chapters. Since I won't be on all summer.  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**

**p.s. Notice the word last in the chapter title. And remember what Trouble says to Holly as he leaves. This is extremely important.**


	7. Annie

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D **

**Thanks for the reviews that I have so far! xD **

**I love flashbacks...Warning: This chapter is really depressing. Just preparing you for what's coming. Also, there is one part where Holly uses some strong language. I've seen worse, but still. Be prepared. Also, this is a long chapter...-TL16  
**

* * *

_It had been two weeks since that last incident, if it could be called that. Trouble had had to stay late at work several times and a few times he was awoken in the middle of the night because of some crisis. _

_Holly was getting tired of it, but she understood. She just wished that it didn't have to be that way. Not just for her, but more for the twins, who repeatedly asked where their father was on nights he had to stay late. They needed their father and Holly was getting close to marching up to the Council and telling them exactly what she thought._

_On one particular evening, Holly and Trouble had just gone to bed, when they were suddenly awoken by a small cry. It was one of the few nights that Trouble was actually at home and he was looking forward to actually getting some sleep. But it seemed that that would not be the case, they heard the cry again, but this time it was more frantic and followed by coughs._

_"Mummy! Daddy!" Annie called out to her parents before she erupted into a fit of coughs._

_Holly and Trouble were in the room in less than a minute. Aimee was still sleeping; Annie's cries had not awoken her. They went to Annie's side and Holly placed a hand on her daughter's forehead. It was burning up._

_Holly looked up worriedly at Trouble. "She's got a fever…I don't understand, she was fine this morning."_

_Trouble frowned. "Hmm…maybe it's just a cold or something."_

_Maybe they were right; Maybe they weren't. While fairies do have healing powers, sometimes they did get an occasional cold. It was normal, especially for a child Annie's age._

_Holly sighed. "Probably…." She turned to Annie. "Are you alright sweetie?"_

_Annie shrugged. "I don't know; it's hard to breathe...and I'm so thirsty…" The small elf erupted into another fit of coughs._

_Holly and Trouble exchanged worried glances. Holly nodded and Trouble pulled out his phone. Laura Kelp answered on the first ring._

_"Hello?"_

_"Hey, Mum. Listen, do you mind coming over for a little while? Annie's sick and Holly and I need to take her to the doctor. We need someone to stay with Aimee while we're out."_

_"Sure Trubs. I'll be right over."_

_A mere five minutes later there was a knock on the door. Trouble opened it and his mother rushed in._

_She noticed Holly sitting on the couch holding Annie. The small elf was asleep for the moment. _

_Laura Kelp turned to her son. "How is she?"_

_Trouble frowned. "She's still got a high fever and she just now has stopped coughing and fell asleep."_

_Mrs. Kelp sighed and took a seat beside Holly. "Oh, dear. I hope she'll be alright…"_

_Trouble took Annie from Holly and they started towards the door. "We do too…Thanks again for coming."_

_"It's nothing. Now go on. Hurry!"_

* * *

_Holly and Trouble sat nervously, waiting for news on Annie's condition. When they had told the doctor of her symptoms and he had examined her a bit, Holly and Trouble had been quickly rushed out of the room. The doctor had been frantic._

_Holly sighed and Trouble turned to face her. He saw a tear fall down her cheek. _

_"I hope…she's all right…Trubs, what if?…"_

_Trouble put an arm around his wife. He too felt tears coming into his eyes. He just wanted everything to be normal. _

_"It's going to be okay, Hols. Don't worry; it's going to be fine."_

_At this moment the doctor came out of the room. Trouble and Holly looked up expectantly. They frowned when they saw that the elf's face was grim. _

_Trouble swallowed hard and asked the question that was hanging ominously in the air. _

_"How is she?"_

_The doctor sighed and stood in front of the two anxious parents. He seemed to be struggling for the right words._

_"I'm afraid…that I don't know what this is. When you told me that she had difficulty breathing my first thought was Spelltropy, but that was eradicated years ago and it would be nearly impossible for her to have it."_

_The doctor paused and continued. "I'm going to keep researching, but as of right now, I have no idea what is causing Annie to be so sick. She seems fine right now, but she needs to stay overnight just to be sure. If she has another attack like tonight, bring her back immediately. That's all I can tell you for now."_

_Holly and Trouble nodded, unable to speak for the moment. Trouble finally stood and shook the elf's hand. _

_"Thank you, sir. We appreciate your help."_

* * *

_The next day, Annie seemed perfectly fine. She was allowed to go home, on the condition that if she were to get sick again, that she would have to be brought back immediately. _

_Trouble's mother offered to babysit the twins for the day and Holly and Trouble gladly excepted. They headed off to work, but they were unable to keep from worrying about Annie._

_The doctor said that he didn't know why she was sick. That he'd never seen anything like this before. What could it possibly be?_

_Holly and Trouble talked to Foaly about it and the centaur thought the same about it. In fact, he was immensely curious._

_"She had a high fever, couldn't breathe, and then later a splitting headache, you say?"_

_Holly nodded. "And she was constantly saying that she was thirsty, but she didn't want anything that we gave to her."_

_Foaly crossed to his computer. "I'm not sure what that is myself, but I'll do all the research I can. This is curious…very curious…"_

_Artemis said the same. He didn't know of anything like that, but he said he would do all the research he could. Holly and Trouble were grateful of their friends help. They all desperately wanted to know what was going on with Annie._

_The next few days went by without any problems, and Holly and Trouble assumed that it was just nothing and that everything was okay. But that all changed a week after the original incident._

_Holly and Trouble were awoken by the sound of their daughter's cries; they jumped out of bed and ran to her, afraid of the worst._

_It was the same as the last time. However, they knew exactly what to do this time. Trouble called his mother and when she arrived, Holly and him rushed back to the hospital._

_The doctor saw them immediately and he rushed them in. Annie was placed in the children's unit and the doctor sat down with Holly and Trouble to talk._

_"Since the last time you were here…I'm afraid that I have not found anything. I'm going to continue looking. I'm determined to find out what this is."_

_Holly and Trouble nodded, unable to speak. The elf continued._

_"I'm not sure what to tell you to do. Annie is going to have to stay here a few days, so we can runs some tests and try to find out what this is. All we can do is hope that this will turn out alright."_

_Holly sighed. "That's what everyone keeps saying, but so far it doesn't seem like it's going to be alright. Isn't there something we can do?"_

_The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid not."_

* * *

_Holly and Trouble went to Annie's room after their talk with the doctor, to see how she was. She was sitting up in the bed, staring at the wall in front of her. She turned her head as her parents walked in_

_Holly sat down on the side of the bed and Trouble stood beside it. The small elf frowned._

_"Mummy? What's going on? Why can't I go home?"_

_Holly smiled weakly. "It's okay sweetie. The doctor's just need to do a few tests, so they can figure out what's wrong. Then they can make you better, okay?"_

_Annie made a face that showed that she was unhappy with this decision. "Okay, but what if they can't make me better?"_

_Trouble sighed and moved a strand of hair out of her face. "Don't say that sweetie, they will. It's going to be fine."_

_Annie could sense that her parent's weren't sure of that themselves, but she didn't say anything. She just sighed and closed her eyes. This caused Holly to worry._

_"Annie? Are you alright?"_

_Annie opened an eye and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, Mummy. I'm just…tired."_

_The three Kelp's sat there in silence for a while and after awhile it became apparent that Annie was sleeping. Trouble turned to Holly._

_"Come on Hols, we should go. She'll be fine."_

_Holly shook her head. "No. I'm going to stay. I don't want her to be scared."_

_At this moment, a nurse entered the room. "Excuse me, I'm afraid that visiting hours are over."_

_Trouble nodded. "Thank you. We were just leaving."_

_The nurse left and Trouble turned back to Holly. She held Annie's hand in hers and she was silently crying._

_Trouble placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Holly. We need to go."_

_Holly was silent for a moment. She eventually sighed and nodded. "Alright…I guess we can always come back tomorrow…"_

_Trouble nodded. "That's right. Come on, Mum and Aimee will be getting worried."_

_Holly nodded again, but without looking at Trouble. She still held Annie's hand in hers._

_"Go on out. I'll be with you in a moment."_

_Trouble hesitated, but he kissed her forehead and left her alone. He understood. A mother's love for her child is like none other. Holly needed a moment alone with Annie._

_After Trouble left the room, Holly continued to hold Annie's hand. A few tears fell down her cheek and she struggled to keep calm._

_Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't life be normal? Why couldn't there be a happily ever after? _

_Holly sighed because she knew that there was no such thing as a happily ever after; life wasn't a fairytale. Especially hers._

_She just wished that there were something she could do…_

_All of a sudden, Holly realized that maybe there _was_ something she could do…_

_As she held Annie's small hand, she called upon her magic. _

_"Heal…" She whispered and the blue sparks traveled across her daughter's hand and arm and then disappeared. The young elf sighed in her sleep and there was a slight trace of a smile on her face._

_"Holly? We need to go…"_

_Holly turned towards the door. Trouble was standing there and he looked worried. _

_"I'm coming…"_

_She kissed her daughter's forehead and stood up from the bed. She walked over towards the door where Trouble was waiting._

_With one last look at their sleeping child, the two elves left the hospital, hoping that everything would be all right. But, as the next few weeks went by, it became obvious that things were most definitely not going to be all right._

* * *

_After a week in the hospital, Annie was released, but only for a short amount of time. They hadn't figured out anything about her condition, despite the many tests. And on top of it all, she had not gotten any better. Only worse…_

_Holly had just tucked the twins into bed and now she sat in a chair waiting for Trouble to come home. Ever since Annie had been put into the hospital, it seemed that Trouble had been working later and later. And that was not going so well with Holly._

_'He should be here at home with his family. His daughter is sick and possibly dying and all he does is work, work, work. How can he?' Holly thought and then she caught what she was thinking. No, Annie wasn't going to die. She was going to get better. It had to get worse before it got any better._

_It was half past midnight, when Holly heard the lock click and the door slowly and silently opened._

_She had the lights off so he wouldn't see her. She watched as he quietly closed the door and softly started to head towards their bedroom._

_"And just where do you think you have been?"_

_Holly turned on the lamp on the table beside her. Trouble jumped at the sudden light and the sound of her voice._

_"Holly. I didn't see you there…"_

_Holly stood and walked to where he stood. "Yes. I thought I'd wait for you to get home. Now, answer my question."_

_Trouble frowned. "I was working. I'm sorry Holly, but they keep me busy."_

_Holly frowned and looked up at him. He was a mere two-inches taller than her. She stared coldly into his violet eyes. "So, what? You should be here at home. With your family…especially with Annie being so sick."_

_"I know that Holly. I wish I could, but with you out of work to take care of Annie, all the workload has been put on me. It has to be done, we need the money, and the Council…"_

_Holly was livid. "D'arvit! To hell with the Council! Just tell them to give the work to someone else!"_

_Holly was yelling now. Trouble stood there and yelled back, he knew it was the truth. But that didn't mean he liked it._

_"I know that Holly! Don't you think I haven't thought of that! I'm doing all I can!"_

_"Your daughter is sick! Tell those jerks on the Council that you need to be at home! Maybe they'll understand! If they don't, just leave anyways! There are more important things! Don't you want to spend sometime with your daughter before…"_

_Holly choked on her words. She stumbled and Trouble caught her before she fell. They stood like that for a moment; Holly crying into Trouble's shoulder and Trouble silently holding her, whispering softly into her ear._

_Suddenly there was a small voice from the hallway. They turned and saw Annie sleepily rubbing her eyes._

_"Mummy? Daddy? What's going on? Why were you yelling?"_

_Holly knelt down and took her daughter's hands in her own. She looked up into the child's questioning eyes._

_"I'm sorry, sweetie, we were just talking. We didn't mean to wake you."_

_Annie wasn't fooled though. She had heard their conversation; she could see the tears in her mother's eyes. She was smarter than you think._

_"Don't cry Mummy…I know I'm sick. It's okay…I know…"_

_As Holly and Trouble looked into their daughter's eyes, they understood what she meant. Annie knew that she was dying and she was okay with it. _

_That didn't make them feel any better about it though. It just broke their hearts even more._

* * *

_Two weeks later, they stood teary-eyed at their daughter's funeral. It had only been a month since Annie became sick and now she was gone. It was all so sudden...and Holly and Trouble were heartbroken. It was only made worse by Aimee constantly asking where her sister was. She didn't understand._

_As they were leaving, the doctor approached them sadly. "I'm sorry, you two. We did all we could."_

_Trouble nodded. "We understand. We're grateful for your help."_

_"If there was any more we could have done…we would have done it. I assure you…"_

_Holly and Trouble nodded. They were walking away, when Holly suddenly turned back._

_"Um, sir? I have a question."_

_"Yes, Major Kelp?"_

_Holly took a deep breath. "If someone had attempted to heal Annie…could that have possibly made her worse?"_

_Trouble looked at Holly quizzically and the doctor was silent for a moment, considering._

_Finally he spoke. "I'm not sure, but it's possible. That's why we never attempted a healing, because we didn't know what this was and we didn't want to make it worse."_

_Holly paled, but she quickly hid it by nodding and turning back to Trouble. "Thank you, doctor."_

* * *

_Back at home, Trouble asked Holly what she meant. He didn't know._

_Holly's mind was reeling. She couldn't believe it…it was all her fault…if she hadn't have tried to heal Annie…_

_Trouble's worried voice snapped Holly out of her frantic thoughts._

_"Holly? Are you all right? What was that about? What made you think about healings?"_

_Holly avoided Trouble's eyes. She shook her head and took a seat on the couch. "Nothing. It was just something I thought of."_

_Trouble could sense that she was hiding something. "Tell me. What is it? Something's wrong? What happened?"_

_Holly sighed. It was no use hiding it. It would only make things worse. Trouble needed to know. "Back when Annie first got sick…I…I attempted to heal her. I was panicking; I thought it would help…but it only made things worse."_

_Holly buried her face in Trouble's shoulder. He put an arm around her and let her cry. "It's alright Holly. You didn't know. I would have done the same thing…"_

_But, that's not what he was thinking. He was confused as to why Holly would have done that. Especially since they didn't know what it was. And then again, he understood her reasons. She didn't want to lose Annie; she wanted to make things better. It was her motherly instincts; she thought that she could help…when it was clearly obvious that she couldn't…._

_Trouble didn't tell Holly this. It would make things worse. All they needed to do now was try to cope and hopefully things would get better. They could patch up things in their relationship and fix everything._

_He would start spending more time with his family, who cares what the Council said. Family was more important._

_Everything would get better; Everything would be fixed…except for Annie…she was gone and nothing could ever change that. There were something's that couldn't be fixed. If only they could turn back time…but what good would that do? They couldn't prevent Annie from getting sick. They couldn't change that._

_So, now, all they could do was move on…Try to start anew. But, always remembering, never forgetting. No, they would never forget..._

* * *

**A/N****:**

**So sad...One more flashback guys... :'(  
**

**Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**Hmm...I think I'll post a few more chapters. Since I won't be on all summer.  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	8. Aimee

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: I'll get back to the Next Generation: Sabrina as soon as possible, but at the moment I'm suffering from a slight case of writers block. But, I have the first ten chapters of this story, so the more reviews I get for each chapter...the more I'll update. :D **

**Thanks for the reviews that I have so far! xD **

**I love flashbacks...Warning: This chapter is just as depressing, if not more than the last one.  
**

**Final flashback chapter. -TL16  
**

* * *

_It had been four months after the death of Annie Lynn Kelp. Everyone, friends and family alike, were devastated. Holly and Trouble especially. They were heartbroken and at times their friends worried that they might do something drastic. But they never did. But…if there was one thing that was completely obvious…it was that Holly and Trouble's marriage was suffering. Things were spiraling out of control…_

_This particular day happened to be one of the better days. Holly and Trouble had only yelled at each other twice and after settling things, they made a decision they could agree on. _

_Holly had some unfinished work to do, so while she was at work, Trouble was spending the day with Aimee. He had taken the day off, so he figured that it was a good time for some father/daughter bonding time. _

_Holly and Trouble weren't the only one's who had taken Annie's death badly. Aimee was just as bad off. She had lost her sister, her twin sister, and that special bond that twins supposedly had…well…that was severed. Gone forever. Aimee almost couldn't take it, but seeing her parents struggling to move on gave her the determination to stay strong._

_As little Aimee walked with her father through the streets of Haven, she couldn't help but notice that he was a little distracted. He seemed nervous and she could tell that something was wrong._

_The young elf looked up at her father, her violet eyes full of concern. She stopped on the sidewalk and dropped his hand. _

_This brought Trouble out of his trance. He stopped and looked down at his daughter._

_"Daddy…what's wrong? You seem upset. You're not yourself."_

_Trouble sighed. 'Oh, great.' He thought. 'Now I'm going to have to tell her. Holly and I were going to tell her tonight, but she's not going to let this go. I have to tell her…"_

_"Daddy? Tell me. What's wrong? Does it have something to do with you and Mommy? The fights? All the yelling?"_

_Trouble nearly lost it then. Aimee had heard those nighttime fights? Oh great. He was a horrible father. Ok, that was it. He was telling her. Holly would just have to get over it._

_Trouble knelt down to Aimee's level and looked her right in the eyes. As he stared into those violet eyes, he almost changed his mind about the whole situation. He couldn't do this; she was just a child. But…he had to._

_"Yes, Aimee…It does….You see, Mommy and I…well we're having…some issues right now. And well, we don't love each other like we used to. We've been trying to work things out, but it always turns into a fight. You with me so far?"_

_Aimee nodded and Trouble continued._

_"Ok. Well…We've decided that maybe we need a break from each other. Kinda like a vacation. We're going to separate for a few months and see if that'll fix things."_

_Aimee frowned. "You mean…you guys are getting a divorce?"_

_Trouble was taken aback. This was coming from a elf in her twenties, which in human terms was no older than a 5 year old. She was a smart one._

_"No Aimee…not like a divorce. Just a separation."_

_Amy was still frowning. She didn't like this one bit. "But…if this separation doesn't work…it'll become a divorce…right?"_

_Trouble didn't know how to respond to that one. He couldn't. Of course he knew that the correct answer was 'Yes', but he couldn't tell that to Aimee._

_Sighing, he stood and took her hand. They started back walking down the sidewalk; Aimee silent, waiting for her father's answer. Eventually he did._

_"I don't know Aimee…I don't know…"_

_And with those words, he drifted back into his thoughts, completely oblivious to his surroundings. _

_Aimee sighed. She had been afraid of this. Why did this have to be this way? If Annie hadn't have gotten sick, no of this would have happened. Would it? Either way, it seemed as though her parents were letting the death of their daughter destroy their marriage. It wasn't right._

_Suddenly, just as they were passing Police Plaza, Trouble's phone started to ring. The sound of it brought him out of his trance, somewhat, and he looked around._

_"What's that sound?"_

_"It's your phone, Daddy."_

_"Oh, right. Thank you, Aimee."_

_He answers it to find a very annoyed Ash Vein on the other end. Trouble sighed._

_"Captain Vein, I don't have time for this. I'm off duty at the moment. If it's that serious, just go to Major Kelp."_

_He paused listening to the annoyed comments of the elfin Captain._

_"Yes, yes. I know that. But you got to understand…"_

_While Trouble was focused on his call, he forgot that he should be paying attention to Aimee. She let go of his hand, frustrated, and decided that she would just cross the street and go over to Police Plaza and find her mother. _

_And that, sadly, is where everything started to go wrong._

_It was right in the middle of lunch hour for most of Haven's workers, so the streets were crowded. Vehicles going left and right, there seemed to be no end._

_But that didn't stop young Aimee Kelp. With one last glance at her father, still chatting away on the phone, Aimee rolled her eyes and stepped out into the street, carefully avoiding the cars._

_However, when she was halfway across the street, she nearly tripped over her shoelace, which had chosen that time to come undone. That one fumble was enough to cause tragic events._

_Trouble was still on the phone when he heard it. A loud, 'SCREECH!' and then the sickening 'THUD!' that followed. He turned his head to see what all the commotion was…and then the next thing he knew, he had dropped his phone and was running out into the middle of the road, where a crowd was already beginning to form._

_'Oh no…no…this can't be happening…Oh Frond, please don't let this be happening…' His thoughts raced as he pushed his way through the crowd. He reached the center of the group…and fell to his knees._

_'Oh no…no, no, no, no. This isn't real. It's all a dream. It has to be…it just has to be'_

_Trouble lifted the broken body of the young elf into his arms. The tears were flowing now and he considered a healing. But…somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that it was too late. _

_Aimee looked up at her father. She was losing consciousness fast. She managed to say one final word…_

_"Daddy…"_

_…And then she was gone. Just like that. Trouble felt the small form go limp in his arms and he knew immediately that she was dead. Gone forever. Never coming back. Just like Annie._

_He burst into heavy sobs. First Annie…and now Aimee…Why? WHY?_

_The crowd was silent. They didn't know what to do. All they could do was stand there in shock._

* * *

_Holly looked up from her work as Chix Verbil burst through her office door. It was obvious that he was troubled._

_"Yes, Captain. What is it?"_

_Chix took a moment to catch his breath and then he spoke. "Major Kelp…there's been an accident. Right outside. I don't know all the details, but I hear that someone was hit."_

_Holly jumped up from her desk. An accident wasn't uncommon, but usually people had enough since to stay out of the road. Especially at this time of the day. _

_"Thank you, Captain Verbil. You can go back to work now."_

_Holly rushed to the main entrance of Police Plaza. She was no warlock, but if a healing was needed, she had plenty of experience. _

_When she exited the building she immediately saw the large crowd in the middle of the street. She hurried over, pushing her way through the large crowd._

_"Excuse me. Coming through. LEP. Keep calm, everything's going to be…"_

_The last word died in her mouth. She had reached the center of the commotion and what she saw made her heart stop. There was Trouble, cradling the motionless form of their daughter Aimee._

_She started to shake her head, slowly at first, but the motion became more rapid. She fell to her knees and francticly cried out._

_"No…no….NO!"_

_Her hysterical cries brought Trouble back down to earth. He looked up, tears still falling from his red eyes. "I…I…I'm sorry…It's all my fault…"_

* * *

_Two days later Trouble was awoken by a hard slap to the face. He groggily sat up and looked at his attacker. It was Holly. And she was furious and distraught. Just as she had been for the past two days._

_She looked at him from his position on the couch, with a look that could only be one thing. Hate. Disgust. That's why he had been sleeping on the couch since Amy's funeral. It seemed now, that it was finally over. This was it._

_Trouble scowled. "What the hell was that for?"_

_Holly scowled back. "For everything! All of it! I wish I never even had married you if I had've known it was going to be this much grief!"_

_Trouble stood up at his full height. He was at least an inch taller than Holly. The tension in the room was rising and if one of them didn't leave soon, it would explode._

_"Then what do you suggest we do about it!"_

_Holly nearly spat. She knew exactly what needed to be done. "Forget about the separation. I want a divorce! IT'S OVER! D'ARVIT! GET OUT!"_

_"FINE! BUT I'M NOT LEAVING BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME TO! I'M LEAVING BECAUSE I WANT TO!"_

_Trouble slipped on his boots and grabbed his jacket. He headed towards the door and nearly ripped the thing off its hinges when he opened it. _

_He didn't even glance behind him as he slammed the door shut. It was over. No turning back. He didn't have many places to go, but he knew exactly where he needed to go. His mother would understand when he got there and told her everything that had just happened. She wouldn't like it, but she'd understand._

_Holly collapsed onto her knees after the door slammed shut. Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she just sat there. Why her? Why?_

_And that's how Foaly, after having received a call from Grub explaining everything that had happened, found her some hours later. Sitting motionless on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. _

_He put an arm around his distraught friend. "There, there. It's okay…It's okay…"_

_Holly remained silent, tears falling harder, burying her head into the centaur's chest. He allowed her to do this, that's why he had came immediately after receiving the news. He had known how he'd find Holly: distraught and angry, angry at Trouble, angry at the world, but most of all, angry with herself. _

_"Why don't you come and stay with Caballine and myself for the night? It would be best."_

_Holly nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. Foaly spoke softly, gently helping her to her feet._

They left, and for weeks after the event, all it would take would be for some one to mention Trouble, or Aimee and Annie, and the tears would come again. Trouble wasn't much better off. Staying locked up at his mother's, refusing to leave, even to work.

_It would be months before either of them would begin to feel okay again. But, they would never fully heal. Part of them still held that grief of losing both of their daughters within four months. And the other part held an intense, fiery hate. The two would never be the same again. _

* * *

**A/N****:**

**:'( So...Annie and Aimee both died...and now Holly and Trouble blame the other (and themselves) for their deaths.  
**

**Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**Okay guys. I think that's enough for now. :) I'll be back in August! Review!.  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	9. More to Come

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: It's great to be back! Even if it is only for a week! Whoo! Thanks for the reviews! :D**** -TL16  
**

**Oh, just fair warning. This is another sad chapter. :'(**

* * *

Artemis trudged up the steep hill in the cold, early morning mist of January. A fresh coat of snow covered the ground and it was still falling, the wind carrying it in all directions. He pulled his coat around him as a particularly violent gust threatened to knock him down. Finally he reached the top and headed towards a white marble headstone, just as he had every morning, no matter if it was warm and sunny or cold and rainy, for the past three years.

When he reached it, he knelt down and touched its smooth surface. A tear fell from his blue eye and rolled down his cheek, closely followed by another…and then another. He sat there like that for a moment, silent, tears slowly falling. Eventually he spoke, but it was barely a whisper, so soft that you would had had to have been right next to him to hear what he was saying.

"Minerva…I'm back again. I miss you terribly…I wish you were h-"

His voice cracked a little and he continued. "But that's not why I'm here…I need to think. I…I wish I could speak to you. So much is going on right now. You would probably know what to do…"

Artemis wiped the tears from his eyes and sat there in silence for a long while. The wind continued to howl and snow fell all around him. He could feel the temperature dropping by the minute. He started to speak again, when there was a voice from behind him.

"Artemis…I know…That's why I'm here."

He turned and what he saw shocked him. At first he thought he was imagining it, but considering the events of the past couple of nights, he slowly realized that it wasn't an allusion.

"M-Minerva...?"

The pale, ghostly form came closer and perched atop the marble stone. She adjusted her glasses and moved a strand of blond hair away from her face. It was indeed the ghost of Minerva Fowl.

"Yes, Arty. It's me. I can't stay long, but…I've been sent to you. You need to know."

Artemis fought back more tears. "Need to know what?"

Minerva smiled faintly. "I think you already know the answer to that. It's the exact reason you came up the hill again today."

When Artemis didn't respond, she took this as her cue to continue. "I know all of this is confusing, but this isn't just a coincidence. The twins appearing and now me. I can't tell you everything, you will see in time, but I came to prepare you for what is going to come later."

"Later? What do you mean?"

Minerva chuckled softly. "You'll see soon. I'm not the first visitor…and certainly not the last."

Artemis was astounded. "What? Who?"

Minerva frowned and shook her head as the wind started howling furiously. It was as if the wind was angry with her. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that…I've said too much already."

Artemis frowned. "But-" He attempted to protest, but Minerva silenced him with a stern glare as she stood.

"No buts, Arty. You'll see in time." She glanced up at the sky. "I must go now…but don't fret, I'll be back."

She began to fade and Artemis reached out a hand as if he could touch her. She smiled briefly and whispered a reply.

"I love you Artemis…See you soon…"

She disappeared and Artemis stumbled as he tried to stand. He grabbed hold of the stone and carefully pulled himself to his feet. He now abandoned the attempt to hold back his tears.

"Minerva…"

For a few more moments he stood there in silence, until a figure approached the hill and made it's way up.

"Dad…You need to come inside. You'll catch a cold…"

Artemis nodded and wiped away his tears before his son could see. "Yes…I'm coming Orion…"

The sixteen-year-old boy saw his father's tears however. He understood how his father felt. Yes, it had been three years now, but it was hard to forget.

"Dad?…Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine…"

Orion nodded, although he knew the truth. "Okay…Come on. Juliet's made breakfast. She sent me to get you before it got cold."

Artemis smiled and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Then let us not keep her waiting any longer."

Father and son slowly walked down the snowy hill after one last sad glance at the solitary headstone. Artemis put Minerva's forewarning to the side for the moment, it was to be discussed later at a more opportune time, when the kids were not around. The message had brought new light to the present situation…But what, exactly, was unclear.

And still the snow fell, much harder than before, and the wind continued to howl...

* * *

**A/N****:**

**Sad, I know. Unfortunately a lot of this story is depressing, but it'll start getting better soon. Anyways, enough of my rambling and on to the next chapter! xD**

**Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	10. Discussions

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note: It's great to be back! Even if it is only for a week! Whoo! Thanks for the reviews! :D**** -TL16  
**

**This chapter starts off kinda sad, but towards the end it's more bittersweet and actually, in my opinion, it's kinda funny, you'll see. ;)**

* * *

When Artemis and Orion entered the kitchen, breakfast had already been set on the table. Lucy was talking excitedly, as usual, and Foaly was helping himself to some orange juice. Holly and Trouble were seated as far away from each other as possible and they were silently eating. The tension between the two was obvious, even without the glares that they occasionally exchanged.

Juliet was just sitting down at the table when they walked in. She nodded in Artemis's direction. "Glad you could join us. How was your little walk?"

Artemis, still stunned from his encounter, shook his head. "We'll talk about it later. I'd rather not say anything in front of the children."

And that was the end of that discussion. Everyone could sense that something had happened and they agreed to let it be for the moment.

Soon, however, Orion was off to school and Lucy was up in her room playing with her dolls. The adults retreated to Artemis's study, where they patiently waited for the news.

Artemis took a seat at his desk and put head in his hands. Holly sensed his distress and she crossed the room and stood by his side, one hand on his shoulder.

"Arty, what happened? What did you see?"

The man sighed. "I had walked up the hill to..." His voice trailed off and he was silent. Everyone knew where he had gone. Holly nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"And I stopped and I stood there and talked to her. Then, out of nowhere... She answered back."

Foaly started to say something, but thought better of it and let Artemis continue. The mud man's voice was quiet and confused.

"I looked up... and there she was. Sitting right on top of the headstone. Just as beautiful as ever..." A tear fell from his eye and he wiped his eyes before more could come.

"And she knew why I was there... She said that all of this was happening for a reason. Annie and Aimee... And then her. She also said that they wouldn't be the only visitors."

There was a long silence. Everyone was trying absorb the meaning of this message. This was happening for a reason? Not the only visitors?

Foaly spoke first. "So... Do you have any idea of what this means? Because I got nothing."

Artemis shook his head. "Not really. The most I can figure is that someone else is going to appear soon. As for the reason the twins, and whoever else, appearing... I have no idea. They want something, but what is the question."

Foaly nodded. "Yes, that's about all we can be sure of for now."

Trouble sat and stared down at his feet. He hadn't spoken a word since last night's incident. He chose this moment to speak, but his voice was unusually quiet for him.

"So... There is going to be another visitor? Are Annie and Aimee going to be back?"

Artemis nodded. "Yes, Minerva did say that she would be back, the twins as well."

The elfin commander continued. "I just wish I knew what they wanted. Or at least a clue. You know what I mean? This is too much to take at once."

Holly frowned. "Of course you would say that. You always have liked for things to be obvious. Straight to the point."

Trouble looked up and scowled at her. "So? Considering the situation, I'd say it'd be a good thing. Wouldn't you like some answers too?"

Holly approached him and looked him straight in his violet eyes. Her hazel ones narrowed in an unforgiving glare. "Of course I do! But you should know that these things aren't going to be that easy!"

Trouble stood to his full height, just a couple of inches above Holly. "Well I-"

"ALRIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Everyone jumped at the loud shout. No one in the room had spoken, but strangely enough the voice was oddly familiar. If only it would speak again, then they would be able to tell who it was.

They didn't have to wait long. The gruff voice spoke again at a tone that was just on the verge of yelling.

"I am greatly disappointed in you two! I would have expected you to have handled this situation more maturely! I would have thought that I'd taught you better than that."

Everyone was silent, mouths slightly ajar, as a figure appeared in the room. Holly and Trouble stared in shock. Neither moved.

The figure, an older elf with a gray buzz cut and the all too familiar cigar, stood in front of the bickering elves with a frown on his face. And of course his face was its usual shade of red.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Holly and Trouble were at a loss for words. When Minerva said that there would be more visitors... They didn't expect...

Holly managed to choke out a few words. "I... I... Commander?"

Commander Root, for of course it was he, nodded. "Yes, Captain, or should I say Commander now?" He had a trace of a smile on his face. "Surprised to see me? I guess so. It's been what? 30 or so years now?"

Trouble and Holly slowly nodded, still pretty much in shock. The others in the room were in no better of a state, they sat motionless, staring unblinkingly at the scene before them.

Trouble finally got the courage to speak. "Yes, sir... But... Why are you-"

Commander Root cut him off again. "Why am I here? You should know that. But, seeing as you don't, you will figure it out soon enough."

Holly frowned. "But, sir... Figure out what?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to figure that out on your own. All I can say for now is that there are something's that you can't control. It's not your fault."

While pausing a moment to let his words sink in, he turned and looked around at the others. He then turned back to face Holly and Trouble.

"Now, I have to go, but I'll be back. Behave you two. Understand?"

They slowly nodded their agreement.

"Good, I'll hold you to it. Take my words seriously and you'll start to understand in time."

And with that he disappeared, leaving no trace that he had even been there, except for the shocked expressions of the room's occupants.

* * *

**A/N****:**

**See what I mean? Kinda bittersweet, kinda funny. Gotta love Commander Root! :D**

**Don't forget to review! Oh, and I also have a poll on my profile for Sabrina and the other stories in the Next Gen. series. If you've read the story, please head over to my profile and vote. Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated! ^_^  
**

**_~Troublelover16~ _  
**


	11. Improvements

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

**Author Note:**

**Finally! I got this chapter written! It took me long enough...****  
**

* * *

Holly and Trouble stood awkwardly in Artemis's study, not looking at each other. After Commander Root's surprise visit, apparently they were supposed to get along now. How were they supposed to do that?! Five years of hate is a lot to get over.

Artemis's voice called out from over the intercom system. "You heard him. Now, neither of you are leaving that room until all problems are resolved. The rest of us will be in the living room and I will check back with you two in a minute."

The room went silent again. Trouble sighed and turned to face Holly.

"I guess we should get this over with then."

Holly frowned and looked away. "Yes, I suppose so."

Silence once more. What were they supposed to say?! I'm sorry? Not likely.

Trouble took a seat in one of the room's two chairs. "So…what should we do? I don't think saying sorry will do much at this point." He stared down at his feet.

Holly still hadn't looked at Trouble. How could she? It was nearly impossible.

"I…I don't know Trouble. This is all so sudden and confusing. I don't understand. And you're right. We're beyond 'sorry' at this point."

Tears fell down her cheeks. She was silent, but the tears fell. Trouble still stared down at the floor, not realizing Holly's distress. But, he was close to tears himself.

They remained that way for a while, neither of them speaking, tears silently flowing.

Trouble finally looked up at her, and after noticing her tears, he spoke slowly. "Holly… I… I would have done the same thing."

Holly stared at him quizzically. What the hell was he talking about? He continued.

"Annie's death… I shouldn't have blamed you. I was upset. I was confused about why you would have tried to heal her when we didn't even know what was making her sick. But I know now that I would have done the same thing."

Holly had stopped crying by this point, but Trouble's words made them come back. Her eyes were brimming with water.

Still, Trouble continued. "And Amy… I hope you know that I would have done anything in my power to save her. In fact I did. It was just far to late… I blamed myself for months. You're right. I should have been paying more attention, but I wasn't. And that was stupid of me. I was a _cowpog. _And I'm sorry… so sorry…"

Both of them were crying at this point. Holly, who had been standing the whole time, suddenly sank to her knees sobbing.

And then… the unthinkable happened.

Trouble slowly rose from the chair and walked to where she sat on the floor. He knelt down and gently wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Amazingly she didn't resist.

They sat there for a while, just like that. Trouble held Holly close and let her cry; he even joined her. After what seemed like forever, the sobs finally ceased.

Holly looked up at Trouble, staring into his deep violet eyes. The eyes that used to be filled with love for her, but recently had been filled with an intense hate. Now…

There was something else. Sympathy? Maybe. It wasn't hate anymore, definitely not. But it wasn't quite love… It was somewhere in between.

She smiled through her tears. "I know Trouble… I understand completely. I blamed myself for Annie's death. I was stupid. And then Amy… I was hurt and confused. I didn't understand. I'm sorry too…"

Trouble didn't respond. He didn't need too. He just sat and held her close.

Invisible to the two elves, the twins smiled at the sight. Improvements, perfect. But it wasn't enough for them. Phase one was complete.

Time for phase two of the plan.

* * *

**Lol. I wonder what phase two is. ;) It may be obvious, but hey, there are lots of surprises coming up.**

** You guys know the drill. Review! Please? Thanks! XD **

******_~Troublelover16~ _**


	12. On A Mission

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

**Finally got a chapter written! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12

Everyone looked up as Holly and Trouble entered the living room. Their eyes were red from crying, but otherwise they seemed okay. Actually, they seemed to be slightly happier and not as angry with each other.

Artemis smiled. "So I guess everything is settled then?"

Holly nodded. "Mostly everything, yes. But this still doesn't solve the whole problem. We need to figure out why all this is happening. First the twins appearing, then Minerva, and now Commander Root."

There were nods from the entire group. It was a mystery as to why the ghost of their friends and family were suddenly appearing bringing some sort of messages along with them. And none of the messages quite fit along together, other than that there will be more visitors.

They decided to worry about it later, and went about their day as normal. The fairies were all glad for the day off, it was much needed. So, while Artemis worked, everyone else was busy entertaining little Lucy.

The four-year-old was bright and bubbly all day long. Running up and down the stairs, playing hide and go seek with Holly, Trouble, and Juliet, and somehow convincing Foaly to play dress-up and have a tea-party with her. Everyone got a good laugh out of that.

Well after a while Orion arrived home and joined in with playing with Lucy... After finishing his homework and finding his book of course. It was 7 o'clock when Juliet called everyone everyone for dinner. Apparently everyone was starved because it sounded like a heard of elephants running through the house to get to the kitchen.

* * *

"Hey, Foaly! Could you please pass the carrots? Stop hogging them!" Trouble yelled across the table at the centaur who had his mouth stuffed with carrots.

"Wha-? Oh..." Foaly reluctantly handed the carrots to Holly who in turn handed them to Trouble.

"Thanks pal."

Lucy giggled at the exchange. "You guys are funny." Then she proceeded to throw a piece of bread at Orion, who was reading his novel and ignoring everything going on around him.

"Orion! Daddy said no reading at the table!"

The 16-year-old sighed and closed the book. "Fine! Just stop throwing things at me!"

The entire table laughed, even Artemis, who stood from the table at this. "Alright you two, that's enough"

He reached down and picked up Lucy, who was getting ready throw another piece of bread. "Come on Lucy, it's time for bed."

The little girl frowned and looked up at her father with adorable wide eyes. "Awww, but Daddy... Five more minutes. Pweasee!"

Artemis laughed. "Sorry, Lucy, you know the rules."

"Okay..."

Holly stood up from the table then and yawned. "You, I think I'll be going to bed as well. It's been a long day and I'm beat."

There were nods from all around the table. It had been a long visits from Minerva and Commander Root, playing with Lucy, everything. So it wasn't long before everyone had retired to their rooms to get some much needed sleep.

* * *

_"Holly... Holly..."_

Holly mumbled in her sleep and rolled over, but unknown to her, there was a faint glowing coming from the foot of the bed. It wasn't very clear as to what the glowing was coming from; it was just a strange floating aura. A soft voice came from it; continuously calling Holly's name.

_"Holly... Holly..."_

The only response from the sleeping elf was an inaudible mumble. The voice began to become slightly frustrated. They had a limited amount of time, but they couldn't even wake her up. The voice decided to be more forceful.

_"Holly... HOLLY!..."_

"Wha?!" That did it. Holly sat straight up in bed, a look of shock on her face. She looked around and upon seeing no one in the room, that look of shock, turned to one of confusion.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

The glow at the foot of the bed became brighter, catching Holly's attention. The elf watched it curiously as a shape began to appear in the midst of the aura. What had appeared to be a slight glow, was now becoming more solid and elf like in shape.. And oddly it looked very familiar...

The form finally appeared and the glowing ceased, though the elf that was now sitting on the edge of the bed was slightly transparent. Holly gasped, the look of shock once again present on her face. What in the world was going on...

"Mom.. ?!"

The elf, or Coral Short, for of course it was she, smiled brightly. "Holly, dear! How are you? I've missed you terribly."

Still in shock as to what was happening, Holly slowly responded. "I've missed you too... and I'm fine. But- What are you doing here?"

Coral chuckled. "I knew you would ask that. Well, I might as well cut to the point, seeing as I only have a few minutes."

She paused for a moment and took her daughter's hand. Holly gasped at the touch. The ghostly hand felt real, yet unnaturally cold.

"Holly. You may be beginning to realize that some pretty strange things are happening. I'm sitting here, am I not? Anyways, myself and the others... well we've been sent on a mission."

Holly frowned. "A mission? What kind of mission? Who's sent you?'

Coral sadly shook her head and gently squeezed Holly's hand."I cannot tell you who sent us, but I can say that it's because there are events that occurred, that weren't supposed to happen. We're here to set them right... as well as prepare everyone for what's coming."

Holly frowned even more. What was this? "For what's coming? What's coming?"

"I can't tell you that either my dear. I've said enough already. It's time for me to go now."

"Mom... don't go yet. Please! Stay for a while longer! I don't understand."

This time it was Coral's time to frown. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay any longer."

"But..."

Another voice suddenly spoke out from the glow that had reappeared at the foot of the bed.

"Listen to your mother, Poppy. She's explained it the best she knows how to. There's nothing else we can do here."

Once again, Holly was shocked at the sounded of the second voice. "D- Dad? What...?"

"Yes, Holly, it's me. But I can't stay, I'm only here to get your mother. We've already been here far to long. All I can say now is follow your heart. Do what you think is right."

Holly was incredulous, she reached out to the glow, into which Coral was already fading. "Wait... How will I know..."

But she was too late. They were already gone. Sighing in defeat, Holly lay back down in bed. So much for that... though some useful things did come from this visit.

A tear fell down her cheek, for one she'd gotten to talk to her parents, if only for a brief moment. And then there was the part about the events that weren't supposed to happen. And they were going to be set right?

Then it hit her. Did her mother mean what happened to Trouble and herself, wasn't meant to happen? It started to make sense now... Annie and Aimee were being sent to try and get them back together. Well, at least that's what it was starting to seem like. Even her father's advice fit in with that.

"Follow your heart. Do what you think is right." Holly whispered the words to herself. The only thing was... she didn't know what her heart was telling her just yet. What was right?

Unfortunately, Holly didn't get much time to ponder this, because that's when the alarms started to go off.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**And that's that! Oh in case you guys don't remember, Poppy is what Holly's father always called her. It was in TLG. -Troublelover16**


	13. Lucy

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

**Please don't be mad at me after this chapter. I've had this planned for a while and it was just begging to be written.**

Chapter 13

Holly barely had time to register what was happening when Trouble burst through the door. He had a look of panic in his eyes. She could hear doors slamming and footsteps running through the halls.

"Trouble... What's going on?"

"Get up! The manor is on fire. Artemis doesn't know why, but we've got to get out. Come on!"

Holly sprang from the bed, pausing to get her shoes and coat. She ran to Trouble and the two elves quickly followed the other footsteps down the stairs. Trouble explained the situation on the way.

"Artemis thinks the fire started in the kitchen, but he can't be sure because its spread through the walls and made it up to the second floor. It hasn't quite reached us yet, but pretty soon this whole wing of the house will be engulfed."

Holly nodded, she could smell the smoke and it was much warmer than it was when she went to bed. How come she didn't notice this earlier? Apparently the visit from her parents was more distracting than she thought.

They reached the main entrance and they could see the smoke creeping its way from the kitchen. Holly froze, stunned that this was actually happening. With all that was going on, this had to happen now?

Trouble notices her and pulls her by the arm. "Come on! We need to get out now! The fire department is on their way, hopefully they can put it out before the entire manor catches fire."

Holly nodded again, not trusting herself to speak, and followed Trouble out into the freezing January night.

Everyone else was already outside. Artemis was talking furiously into his phone, while Lucy clung to his leg staring at the orange glow coming from the house with a look of terror.

Orion stood beside Foaly, both of then solemnly watching the night sky. Foaly was lying on the ground in some grass that was just high enough to hide his horse half, so it appeared that he was just a regular human sitting on the ground.

Juliet stood near Artemis and upon seeing Holly and Trouble, she motioned for them to quickly move closer. "Alright, everyone is out. No one is hurt, we're going to be okay." She spoke calmly to try and ease the tension and worry that was hanging in the silence. "The fire department will put out the fire before it causes too much damage to the house and repairs will be nothing, seeing how vast the Fowl's fortune is."

They nodded. Juliet was right. Everything was going to be fine. They just needed to wait calmly for the fire department to arrive and put out the fire.

But sadly that was not the case, seeing how everyone's luck had been recently.

Still staring at the glow, Lucy suddenly snapped out of her terrified trance. Without a single word she started to dash back towards the house. Orion was the first to notice that she was missing.

He turned to Artemis. "Dad? Where's Lucy?"

And that's when they see her, already 3/4 of the way to the front door. Artemis moved before anyone else, tossing his phone aside and running after her. "Lucy! NO! Come back! It's not safe!"

Lucy stopped, with her hand hovering over the doorknob, and yelled back to her father.

"But Daddy! I forgot Mommy's locket!" With that she opened the door and entered the burning house.

Artemis ran even faster. Of course! Last year for her birthday, he had given Lucy a locket that had belonged to Minerva. Inside was picture of the two of them, shortly after they'd gotten engaged. Lucy adored that locket and always kept it right beside her bed. She would look at that picture for hours.

Just the fact that Lucy was able to open the door, meant that the fire had not yet reached the main entrance hall. But judging from the heat, it was easy to tell that the fire was just on the other side of the walls.

Artemis ran towards the stairs, yelling all the way. "Lucy! LUCY!"

"Coming Daddy!" Lucy choked out from the top of the stairs, the smoke was thick and Artemis began to worry even more. But the sound of her footsteps coming down the stairs relieved him, but only for a moment.

The smoke was so thick now that it was hard to see anything further than three feet away. He carefully took another step towards the stairs, squinting to see through the black. "Lucy hurry up!"

"I'm trying Daddy" Another cough. "It's really hard to see."

Artemis suddenly got a better idea. "Alright now. Just stay where you are and I'll come towards you. Keep talking so I can find you."

Lucy seemed to like that idea and she did just as her father said. "Okay, Daddy."

"That's it. That's my girl."

However, the fates had something else planned for that night. A section of the ceiling fell, separating Artemis from Lucy by a mere 5 feet. Artemis shouted through the dust and smoke.

"Lucy! Are you alright? Lucy, speak to me!"

After a moment of silence, there was a cough and Lucy's small voice spoke. "Daddy... I'm scared. Get me out of here."

"Stay still Lucy, I'm going to get you out."

Artemis reached to clear the path. Chunks of wood and plaster were everywhere, there was no telling how long it could take to move it all. But there had to be a way to get her out.

The temperature was rising rapidly and it wouldn't be long before the flames started to come down the stairs. Artemis continued tossing aside debris, furiously trying to reach Lucy. To see him like this, you'd have thought him to be someone else. Artemis Fowl? Inside a burning building? Trying to move debris?

But Lucy was his only daughter. And there is nothing like a father's love for his daughter.

"Daddy!?"

"I'm coming Lucy!"

"Artemis! You crazy mud man! Get Lucy and get out!" Trouble was now standing at the door and yelling.

Artemis yelled back, not even pausing his work. "I'm trying to! Just back away from the door!"

Suddenly an ice cold breeze blew past him. Artemis froze, stunned, and looked towards the door. It wasn't open.

Trouble yelled again. "No! I'm coming in!"

But just then, a deep voice sounded from right behind Artemis. "No need for that, Commander. I can handle this myself."

Artemis paled. "B- Butler?"

A ghostly form appeared beside him. It was indeed Domovoi Butler. "Yes, Master Artemis. Now go. There is nothing you can do here."

"But Lucy..." Artemis began to move more pieces of wood. Lucy was no longer speaking, but was coughing roughly from the smoke. She managed to get out one word.

"Daddy..."

Then she went right back to coughing.

"Just hang in there Lucy. I'm almost there!"

Butler just shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry Artemis, but there is nothing you can do. It's too late. You need to get out while you still can."

"But... No. I won't."

Butler sighed and Artemis suddenly felt like he had been hoisted up onto the shoulder of his late bodyguard. He even felt the firm grip of his hands. But there was nothing there. The door flew open, causing a shout from Trouble, and Artemis was tossed out into the cold night.

He jumped to his feet and tried to enter the house again. But it was like a invisible force field had been put up and he was knocked backwards.

Butler spoke a final time. "I am so sorry Master Artemis. I wish I could have helped, but I have my orders."

He disappeared and at the same time the fire trucks arrived, coming up to the manor at full speed. The firemen jumped from the trucks and rushed as fast as they could, so they could get the fire out.

Artemis was immediately wrapped in a blanket and given oxygen. He tried to fight it, but it was clear that the smoke had gotten to him because he finally collapsed with defeat.

"Lucy...," He whispered as he lost consciousness. "Lucy..."

**Chapter End Notes:**

**:'( Review please. -TL16**


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